1. Technical Field
The present disclosure relates to a display device with a touch detection function, an electronic apparatus, and a touch detection device that can detect an external proximity object, specifically, a display device with a touch detection function, an electronic apparatus, and a touch detection device that can detect the external proximity object based on a change in capacitance.
2. Description of the Related Art
In recent years, a touch detection device that can detect an external proximity object, what is called a touch panel, has been attracting attention. The touch panel is used for a display device with a touch detection function in a manner mounted on or integrated with a display device such as a liquid crystal display device. In the display device with a touch detection function, various button images and the like are displayed on the display device, so that information can be input using the touch panel instead of a typical mechanical button. The display device with a touch detection function having such a touch panel does not require an input device such as a keyboard, a mouse, and a keypad. Accordingly, use of the display device with a touch detection function tends to expand in a portable information devices such as cellular telephones as well as to computers.
Examples of type of touch detection include, but are not limited to, an optical type, a resistance type, a capacitive type, and the like. A capacitive touch detection device is used for portable devices and the like, has a relatively simple structure, and can achieve low power consumption. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2009-244958 describes a display device with a touch sensor (display device with a touch detection function) including a plurality of display pixel electrodes, a common electrode arranged in a manner opposed to the display pixel electrodes, a display function layer having an image display function, a display control circuit that applies a display voltage between the display pixel electrodes and the common electrode based on an image signal to perform image display control so that the display function of the display function layer is exhibited, and a touch detection electrode that is arranged in a manner opposed to or side by side with the common electrode and forms capacitance between itself and the common electrode.
Japanese Patent Application Laid-open Publication No. 2012-198416 (JP-A-2012-198416) describes a display device and an electronic apparatus including a pixel part having a plurality of pixels, a display switching functional part that displays an image based on light emitted from the pixel part and can switch three-dimensional display and two-dimensional display of the image, and a sensor unit configured to detect contact or proximity of an object.
The display device and the electronic apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2012-198416 allow a user to input information while displaying a three-dimensional video image and a two-dimensional video image in a switchable manner. According to JP-A-2012-198416, a drive electrode drives a touch sensor unit along with a liquid crystal lens unit, and a detection electrode and a drive electrode are formed on a front surface and a back surface of a substrate in a predetermined pattern, respectively.
However, in the display device and the electronic apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2012-198416, it is not considered that an electrode of the liquid crystal lens unit is used as the detection electrode for a touch detection function. In the display device and the electronic apparatus disclosed in JP-A-2012-198416, the detection electrode is provided on the front surface of the substrate and the drive electrode is provided on the back surface thereof. However, it is not considered that there is possibility that touch detection sensitivity or detection sensitivity of a lens surface will be decreased.
The present disclosure is made in view of such a situation, and provides means for achieving at least one of a first purpose and a second purpose. The first purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a display device with a touch detection function and an electronic apparatus including a variable focus layer in which a refractive index of transmitted light varies depending on a certain signal applied between a first electrode and a second electrode, and a touch detection unit configured to detect the position of a proximity object using one of the first electrode and the second electrode as a touch detection electrode.
The second purpose of the present disclosure is to provide a display device with a touch detection function and an electronic apparatus that include a variable focus layer in which a refractive index of transmitted light varies depending on a certain signal applied between a first electrode and a second electrode, and a touch detection unit configured to detect the position of a proximity object using one of the first electrode and the second electrode as a drive electrode, to improve detection sensitivity.
According to an aspect, a display device with a touch detection function includes: a variable focus lens unit that includes a first substrate including a first electrode, a second substrate including a second electrode, and a variable focus layer that is provided between the first electrode side of the first substrate and the second electrode side of the second substrate and in which a refractive index of transmitted light varies depending on a certain signal applied between the first electrode and the second electrode; a display unit including a display region that displays an image via the variable focus lens unit; a drive electrode that is arranged in the display unit or at a position opposed to the display region, and divided into a plurality of pieces; and a touch detection unit configured to detect a position of a proximity object using one of the first electrode and the second electrode as a touch detection electrode based on change in capacitance with respect to the drive electrode.
According to another aspect, a display device with a touch detection function includes: a variable focus lens unit that includes a first substrate including a first electrode, a second substrate including a second electrode, and a variable focus layer that is provided between the first electrode side of the first substrate and the second electrode side of the second substrate and in which a refractive index of transmitted light varies depending on a certain signal applied between the first electrode and the second electrode; a display unit including a display region that displays an image via the variable focus lens unit; a drive electrode that is arranged in the display unit or at a position opposed to the display region, and divided into a plurality of pieces; a touch detection electrode that is divided into a plurality of pieces; and a touch detection unit configured to detect a position of a proximity object using one of the first electrode and the second electrode as the drive electrode based on change in capacitance between the touch detection electrode and the drive electrode. Each of the first electrode and the second electrode is divided. A direction in which the first electrode extends is parallel to a direction in which the second electrode extends. A width of one of the first electrode and the second electrode to which a common potential for variable focus is applied is enlarged.
According to another aspect, an electronic apparatus includes the display device with a touch detection function.
According to another aspect, a touch detection device includes: a variable focus lens unit that includes a first substrate including a first electrode, a second substrate including a second electrode, and a variable focus layer that is provided between the first electrode side of the first substrate and the second electrode side of the second substrate and in which a refractive index of transmitted light varies depending on a certain signal applied between the first electrode and the second electrode; a drive electrode that is divided into a plurality of pieces; and a touch detection unit configured to detect a position of a proximity object using one of the first electrode and the second electrode as a touch detection electrode based on change in capacitance with respect to the drive electrode. When one of the first electrode and the second electrode serves as the touch detection electrode, the other one of the first electrode and the second electrode serves as the drive electrode.